Promoting fruit and vegetable consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic – SportStudisMoveYou (SSMY): A randomized controlled trial

Joram Weber; Claudio R. Nigg; Joram Weber; Claudio R. Nigg

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2022048

AIMS Public Health

2022, Volume 9, Issue 4: 690-702. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022048

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Research article Topical Sections

Promoting fruit and vegetable consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic – SportStudisMoveYou (SSMY): A randomized controlled trial

Joram Weber ,
Claudio R. Nigg ^,

Department of Health Science, Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 145, 3012 Bern, Switzerland

Received: 02 May 2022 Revised: 19 July 2022 Accepted: 25 July 2022 Published: 10 October 2022

Background
The stay-at-home circumstances due to the global coronavirus pandemic have had some negative impacts on people's eating behavior.

Purpose
Therefore, this study attempted to improve fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption intention and behavior through an online video intervention based on the social cognitive theory.

Methods
Participants were recruited with a promotion video posted on social media channels. After consenting and completing a pre-survey, participants were randomly assigned to either a) the intervention group addressing FV consumption or the b) attention control group addressing physical activity. After two weeks, the participants completed an online post-survey.

Results
The participants (N = 82) were 77% female and 50% students; 95% chose German for the survey language, and 84% were from Switzerland. The mean baseline FV consumption intention was 3.05 (standard deviation: 1.03), and FV consumption was 4.64 (standard deviation: 2.06) portions a day. The analysis showed no significant change in FV consumption intention (F = (1, 78) = 0.02, p = 0.88, ηp² = 0.00) or behavior (F = (1, 78) = 0.019, p = 0.89, ηp² = 0.03) due to the intervention.

Conclusions
Plausible reasons why no significant effect was found were the brief intervention duration, the setting and insufficient tailoring. The lessons learned from this study are to plan better, tailor more to the needs of participants and carefully consider the goals before promoting an intervention.
- fruit,
- vegetable,
- behavior,
- intervention,
- health,
- COVID-19
Citation: Joram Weber, Claudio R. Nigg. Promoting fruit and vegetable consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic – SportStudisMoveYou (SSMY): A randomized controlled trial[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2022, 9(4): 690-702. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2022048

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Abstract

Background

The stay-at-home circumstances due to the global coronavirus pandemic have had some negative impacts on people's eating behavior.

Purpose

Therefore, this study attempted to improve fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption intention and behavior through an online video intervention based on the social cognitive theory.

Methods

Participants were recruited with a promotion video posted on social media channels. After consenting and completing a pre-survey, participants were randomly assigned to either a) the intervention group addressing FV consumption or the b) attention control group addressing physical activity. After two weeks, the participants completed an online post-survey.

Results

The participants (N = 82) were 77% female and 50% students; 95% chose German for the survey language, and 84% were from Switzerland. The mean baseline FV consumption intention was 3.05 (standard deviation: 1.03), and FV consumption was 4.64 (standard deviation: 2.06) portions a day. The analysis showed no significant change in FV consumption intention (F = (1, 78) = 0.02, p = 0.88, ηp² = 0.00) or behavior (F = (1, 78) = 0.019, p = 0.89, ηp² = 0.03) due to the intervention.

Conclusions

Plausible reasons why no significant effect was found were the brief intervention duration, the setting and insufficient tailoring. The lessons learned from this study are to plan better, tailor more to the needs of participants and carefully consider the goals before promoting an intervention.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the following individuals for all of their contributions to this project: Aneas Zurkinden, Nando L.; Beck, Damian A.; Bisang, Xaviér J. B.; Charbonnet, Bryan; Dütschler, Benjamin; Felder, Timo M. O.; Ganic, Tarik; Grunder, Lara P.; Gürber, Marc P.; Konyo, Jacqueline; Lehmann, Remo D.; Meierhofer, Anna R.; Schnegg, Sandra; Kubica, Claudia; Vergères, Ludovic G.; Wieland, Fluri; Zimmermann, Patrick; Zuber, Alessia & Zutter, Melina T.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest regarding this study.

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